German court told 'lovely man' became September 11 pilot

One of the September 11 hijackers transformed from a western-oriented man into a fervent Muslim who often talked about waging a jihad or holy war, his former girlfriend told a German court yesterday. "He was a lovely man, very nice, rather introverted.

One of the September 11 hijackers transformed from a western-oriented man into a fervent Muslim who often talked about waging a jihad or holy war, his former girlfriend told a German court yesterday.

"He was a lovely man, very nice, rather introverted. He only became really religious at the end," Aysel Sengun, a German-born doctor, said of Ziad Jarrah, who US officials believe flew the hijacked jet that crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

Sengun testified at the Hamburg trial of Abdelghani Mzoudi, a Moroccan man accused of helping Jarrah and other attackers.

He is only the second September 11 suspect ever brought to trial. Fellow Moroccan Mounir El Motassadeq was sentenced to 15 years by the Hamburg High Court in February.

Mzoudi, a 30-year-old electrical engineering student, is charged with 3,066 counts of aiding and abetting murder, and membership in the Hamburg-based al Qaeda cell that led the attacks on US cities.

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